Bridges in Venice - Architectural and Structural Engineering aspects

Marko POGACNIK

Born in 1958, obtained his PhD in 1994 with a thesis on K.F. Schinkel. He is ricercatore universitario at Venice University IUAV and was a visiting professor and lecturer in many european universities: FH- Potsdam, Universität Dortmund, Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, ILEK Stuttgart, Universität Innsbruck.

The subjects of his researches and publications are the architectures of Schinkel, Ledoux, Semper, Behrens, Mies, Loos, Le Corbusier, Libera, Scarpa.

Luka SKANSI

Luka Skansi graduated at Venice's University of Architecture - Università IUAV di Venezia, and he obtained his Ph.D. degree there in 2006. He is currently Teaching Assistant in History of Architecture at IUAV.

With its hundreds of bridges built over the course of centuries, most of which are still in use today, Venice probably has more bridges than any other city in the world.

It is also a city where the culture of bridges and bridge-building is closely linked to the culture of the town.

From an engineering point of view, it is of particular interest to study certain aspects of Venetian Bridges, specifically the problems that Venetian artisans, artists, engineers and architects encountered over the centuries, and how they overcame these problems.

The aim of this paper, together with its companion paper on the historical background, is to illustrate and discuss certain engineering and structural aspects of the traditional Venice Bridge.